PORT ANGELES — A methane leak in Port Angeles’ dormant landfill is creating “a potentially explosive situation,” Public Works and Utilities Director Glenn Cutler said.
Methane gas from the closed landfill at the west end of 18th Street is leaking into a cracked concrete stormwater pipe and out of the manhole, Cutler told the seven City Council members at their regular Tuesday meeting.
Council members unanimously approved a $36,296 contract with Bruch & Bruch Construction Inc. of Port Angeles to repair the pipe, replacing the broken section with PVC pipe.
Pipe will be repaired
Twenty feet of the pipe will be repaired at a depth of 10 feet. Repairs could begin as soon as next week, Cutler said. “It’s necessary to seal that and reduce the potential hazard out there,” Cutler said.
“The potential is that if we do not take care of this, we could wind up with a potentially explosive situation out there with the level of methane.”
The landfill releases 220 cubic feet of gas per minute. Half is methane, and half is carbon dioxide.
The funds for the project will come from city Solid Waste Fund reserves.
The landfill is now the site of the city’s waste transfer station.
The manhole leads to a 24-inch concrete stormwater pipe on the edge of the landfill area between the west detention pond and a landfill cell.
Pipe cracked
The pipe cracked because of natural settling of 3 to 4 feet in the past six to seven years, Cutler said.
City staff and Aspect Consulting began investigating “soil cracking” on the northwest corner of a landfill cell last fall, Cutler said.
City staff discovered the crack last week, he said.
City staff and Aspect Consulting will monitor the leakage.
“The contractor will be responsible for monitoring the methane gas and providing a safe work environment for all workers,” Cutler said in a project memo to the City Council.
The bid — the lowest of three submitted — was $3,641 over the engineer’s estimate.
Other bids were $40,814 from Pacific Environmental Services Inc. and $41,547 from Del Hur Industries of Port Angeles.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
